Potomac Student Competes in Scripps National Spelling Bee

“Pinealectomy,” “huklau” and “pierrot” may seem like words of a foreign language to many, but they are just normal words for the gifted spellers in the Scripps National Spelling Bee—and Potomac resident Susanna Yau is no exception.

Yau, a seventh-grade student at the in Potomac, spelled her way through the Montgomery County Spelling Bee in March, winning not only a huge trophy, but also an all-expense paid trip to the National Harbor to compete against 274 other champions from the United States and abroad at the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

“It was really fun,” Yau said. “I came in second two years ago, and I was excited to have the opportunity to go on to the National Spelling Bee.”

Although Yau didn’t make it to the final round of the spelling tournament, she faced a trying spelling contest in the preliminary rounds.

Yau began the famous spelling bee on May 31 with a 25-word written exam. During the exam, the pronouncer, Dr. Jacques Bailly, recited the word and all 275 participants had to spell it. Contestants received one point for every word spelled correctly, which calculated their preliminaries score. 

On June 1, Yau and the other spellers had to spell words orally with correct spellings earning three points each. After two rounds of spelling without eliminations, the participants had their preliminaries scores.

When Yau received her score, she had missed the semifinals by just one point. Usually, the semifinals include 50 competitors, but this year only 41 made the cut, Yau said.

“I wasn’t too surprised, but I was disappointed,” Yau said.

This year, the finals were fiercely competitive, going 21 rounds until contestant Sukanya Roy of Pennsylvania correctly spelled “cymotrichous” to win the $30,000 cash price.

Yau said she won’t let the loss keep her down as she hopes to return to the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

“I plan to keep studying and enter again next year,” she said.

Yau said she studies spelling words two or three hours a day from lists distributed by the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Usually her mom quizzes her on the words. 

Fourth Presbyterian School Headmaster Dr. John Murray said the seventh-grade class traveled to the National Harbor to support Yau in the competition. Her classmates brought signs, and her mom made a button that everyone wore that read, “Spelling is Becoming a Lossed Art,” with a picture of a little girl writing on the blackboard, “Spell it Rite.”

“We are thrilled for Susanna. She is an exceptional student who works very hard—and yet she is well-rounded,” Murray said. “She has been at our school since pre-school and it’s been a joy to watch her grow and learn.” 

The Meakem Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in Bethesda sponsored Yau.